To DoorDash or Not to Doordash - That Is The Question
Complete and utter distraught is the sensation I have when coming home after a long day so intensely focused on other things, that I realize I missed a meal entirely.
I stare at my pantry and fridge,see a sea of ingredients, and internalize the much-needed effort it would take to make something great… After minutes that seem like hours, I look at my phone and see a handy alternative: DoorDash. February 2013 was the birth of this app, perfect for lazy meals from good restaurants. Although the options seem endless, especially in the melting pot that is the Bay Area, I’m here to be your sieve to parse through the restaurants that might not give you your money's worth and instead present you with the best meals that pleasantly satisfy both your hunger and your apple wallet.
1. Taqueria Los Mayas
Located in the heart of the Inner Richmond, Taqueria Los Mayos is within a 25-minute drive to every neighborhood in the city. Their menu is full of Yucatan and Mexican street food staples like tacos, burritos, and tortas, while also offering many lesser-known dishes that are easy to branch out to like sopes, panuchos, and poc chuc. Although each dish might not be something you're used to, it's pretty safe to try out new foods at Taqueria Los Mayos as each dish stays true to standard Mexican flavors with subtle changes and flavor punches. Due to the extensive menu with a wide variety of options, Los Mayos is the perfect lazy meal on DoorDash when you simply want a great meal without the trouble of making it yourself.
I love Los Mayos for its bold and traditional flavors that hold up over time, which is especially important when you factor in the time it takes to DoorDash the food. My favorite meal: Carne Asada Panuchos are consistently flavor bombs that stay crispy, light, and fresh over long periods.
Recommended dishes and DoorDash prices: Carne Asada Panuchos $7.00, Torta Yucateca $16.25, Sopa de Tortilla $18.00, Pozole Yucateca $19.00
2. My Father’s Kitchen
A Vietnamese flavor powerhouse in Lower Pacific Heights (around a 25-minute max drive from any SF neighborhood) provides a relatively limited menu of Northern Vietnamese staples done extremely well. Because the menu consists of just a few classics like chicken and beef pho, spring rolls, crispy imperial rolls, and chicken satay, each item is perfected. Traditional Vietnamese flavors like ginger, lime, and star anise, among many others, are bold and central in each vibrant dish.
One thing to take note of is that My Father’s Kitchen is only open on weekdays making it the perfect midweek comfort food, especially since the intense flavor profile outweighs the cost of DoorDashing jam-packed into each item ordered.
My Father’s Kitchen’s Pho Gà has become my all-time favorite comfort food, especially when I’m taking a sick day at home. I love elevating the rich broth with the jalapenos, lemon, and sriracha that come on the side to make the perfectly flavored broth for me.
Recommended dishes and DoorDash prices: Pho Gà $12.50, Gò Cuon $11.00, Com Gà Satay $13.50
3. Roam Burger
If you're looking to splurge, in the center of Fillmore St in Pac Heights or Union St in Cow Hollow, is Roam Burger. While offering your typical cheeseburgers, hamburgers, fries, and shakes, Roam takes it a step further by pulling exciting and new flavor combinations out of thin air for an overwhelming majority of their burgers. They also offer an exciting trio of truffle parmesan, sweet potato, and haystack fries (crispy breaded zucchini ribbons), and more sides like spicy Brussels sprouts and a refreshing salad. Although Roam is somewhat expensive, you get exactly what you pay for: consistently creative burgers and exciting side dishes.
Roam has been a family staple throughout my entire life. The Tejano Burger has been, and will always be, my favorite item on the menu. What’s great about Roam is that each burger is full of new and creative flavor combinations that make the expensive prices worth the splurge.
Recommended dishes and DoorDash prices: Tejano Burger $17.25, Sunny Side Burger $17.25, Brussel Sprouts $10.35
And in leaving you with three amazing restaurants, happy DoorDash eating from me to you!
